Six injured as car crashes into concrete barriers at Gurugram’s AIT Chowk

The families were returning to Delhi when the crash occurred between 3.30am and 4am, with commuters rescuing them from the wrecked Hyundai Exter.

Six people, including two children, were injured after the car they were travelling in rammed into concrete barriers at AIT Chowk near Sector-55 on Golf Course Road early Wednesday, police said.

The driver alleged poor lighting, missing warning signs and a lack of reflective tape made the barriers difficult to spot at the U-turn. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The injured were Kunal Chawla, his wife Arushi Chawla, their one-and-a-half-year-old son, their neighbours Shivam Koli and his wife Priyanka Koli, and their five-year-old son, police said. Both families live in the same locality near Shiv Mandir in Mehrauli, Delhi.

Police said the families were returning home from Gurugram when the crash took place between 3.30am and 4am. The Hyundai Exter, bearing a Delhi registration number, was travelling towards Sikanderpur from Golf Course Extension Road.

The driver said the family members suffered multiple non-fatal injuries and were later shifted from a private Gurugram hospital to Delhi. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Commuters rushed to the victims’ aid, pulled them out of the wrecked vehicle and took them to a private hospital on Golf Course Extension Road. Chawla, who was driving, later said they were shifted to Delhi by their families for further treatment.

A police official privy to the investigation said a U-turn at AIT Chowk had been created using multiple heavy concrete barriers.

A U-turn exists near the AIT Chowk, which is created by keeping multiple heavy concrete barriers. However, probably due to a visibility issue, the driver could not see the barriers on time and ended up crashing right into them,” the official said.

Chawla alleged the barriers were not visible because of poor lighting and a lack of warning signs and reflective tapes.

“I could not see the barriers, and vehicular lights from opposite lanes resulted in dazzling. We are lucky to have survived, as we were wearing seatbelts and all the airbags were deployed even after the car was wrecked,” he said.

Chawla said they suffered multiple but non-fatal injuries and credited commuters with helping them reach hospital.

Sandeep Turan, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said no complaint had been filed yet. Police made a diary entry at the Sector-56 police station after commuters alerted the control room. Turan said it was the first such crash at the spot in several months and that traffic officials would inspect it if required.